PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Efma, an association of more than 3,300 retail financial services
companies in 130 countries, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today announced
the winners of the third annual Efma-Accenture
Innovation in Insurance Awards at the annual awards ceremony, held
at the Elyseum in Paris. Showcasing the best examples of insurance
technology innovations in multiple categories, the awards competition
this year attracted 320 entries from 237 institutions in 45 countries.

The winners of the Efma-Accenture Innovation in Insurance Awards 2018
are:

Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. (Japan) – was
named Global Innovator for several innovative products it brought to
market in the last year, including: its “Connected Safety Drive
Support and Rescue System,” an all-in-one internet of things device
for auto insurance customers that includes accident prevention
capabilities and drive-history reports; its “Insurance Hero Marine”
edutainment smartphone app, designed to teach youngsters about
insurance products via Otaku-Anime cartoons; and an entire series of
innovative insurance products designed for supporting social
movements, including work-from-home insurance and accepting same sex
partners as a “spouse” on insurance contracts (a first among insurers
in Japan).

AXA Winterthur (Switzerland) – won two awards: the Artificial
Intelligence award, for its ‘SIRI-Bution, which uses natural language
processing to provide quick answers to employee questions by unlocking
complex business data and providing clear and comprehensive insights;
and the Connected Insurance & Ecosystems award, for its FlexCash
platform, which helps small and medium-sized enterprises overcome
liquidity bottlenecks and manage their cash flow, enabling them to
pre-finance their accounts receivable invoices via the FlexCash
platform and receive payment immediately.

KBC (Belgium) – won Best Disruptive Product or Service for its
“Digitization of the KBC Home Policy.” The data-driven platform
simplifies the process for getting homeowners insurance by asking
customers just three questions and providing them with an immediate
quote.

Bank Millennium (Poland) – won the Claims Management award for
its “Travel Assistance” button, which instantly connects customers
with the institution’s insurance agents, even without an internet
connection, so customers don’t bear the cost of international roaming.
The “Travel Assistance” button lets users make a direct phone call to
the insurer, send an instant message to the insurer requesting a
call-back, and check policy details.

PZU (Poland) – won the Customer Experience & Engagement award
for its Speech and Language Translator (S.A.L.T.) contact-center
service for the deaf. S.A.L.T. is the first solution in Poland that
enables the deaf – through a mobile device or computer with webcam and
Internet access – to have standalone contact with their insurance
provider through a tripartite video connection between the customer, a
sign language translator, and a PZU consultant.

Nexar (Israel) – won the Insurtech award for its Automated
Accident Reconstruction via Mobile Phone Application, which uses AI
and the onboard sensors in smartphones to capture collision footage
and data and then generates collision reports in minutes as opposed to
days. This reduces the rate of opportunistic fraud and enables Nexar
to process claims faster, reduce operational costs, and build stronger
relationships with policyholders.

Victor (USA) – won the Underwriting award for Alternus, the
first-ever retail property insurance solution backed by alternative
capital. Alternus provides risk managers with greater capital
diversification by offering a price discount from alternative capacity
providers, which is then passed directly on to the insured.

“It’s exciting to see so much innovation from companies around the
world,” said Vincent Bastid, Efma’s CEO. “The number of submissions
we’ve seen this year shows that insurers are facing disruption head-on,
with advancements in customer service, personalization, and mobile
applications through a combination of AI & Big Data. Congratulations to
all of this year’s winners for their achievements.”

Jean-Francois Gasc, Accenture’s insurance strategy lead for Europe,
Africa and Latin America, said, “Innovation in insurance shouldn’t just
be the domain of insurtechs and other startups. Insurers from around the
world are embracing new technologies to develop innovations around the
customer experience, transform their operations and create new
efficiencies. The winners highlight how the use of AI, machine learning
and the internet of things are reinventing insurance.”

The winners were selected through a combination of votes by a panel of
judges comprising senior insurers and from around the world and by Efma
members and non-members from insurance institutions online. Each entry
was assessed using three criteria: its originality; its strategic
capacity to generate long-term competitive edge and return on
investment; and its adaptability for use in other markets and countries.

A global non-profit organization, established in 1971 by banks and
insurance companies, Efma facilitates networking between
decision-makers. It provides quality insights to help banks and
insurance companies make the right decisions to foster innovation and
drive their transformation. Over 3,300 brands in 130 countries are Efma
members. Headquarters in Paris. Offices in London, Brussels, Barcelona,
Stockholm, Bratislava, Dubai, Milan, Montreal, Istanbul, Beijing and
Singapore. Learn more www.efma.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a
broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital,
technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and
specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business
functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network –
Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their
stakeholders. With approximately 442,000 people serving clients in more
than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the
world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.